Generic Touring Thread

As an alternative, have you thought about no bibs, but just pants and a pair of decent shorts? (Something not too flappy, but good for riding like Rapha tech shorts).

That way you can wear the shorts and a pair of the boxers, and only take three pairs and the packing size of the two spare is tiny, bonus being you also wouldn't need to carry more for evenings etc. Super easy to wash and dry.

I've been using runderwear long boxes (and icebreaker long merino ones) and they are superb. No seams to chaff, dry super quick, don't feel horrible when wet etc.

Not for everyone granted, but worth a look.

Ah, that's something interesting as well... thats why i love the forum! I'll have a think about those, they could be coupled with my swrve shorts which i absolutely love. If not this time, it sounds great for longer summer tours

100% having finally got round to trying SMPs years ago I would not go back to wearing padded shorts for all but the roughest of riding. If you can manage normal underwear+ shorts/trousers it's just so much more functional for most touring activities

When I'm back from this trip, depending on what's going on, I'll book myself into LBKs saddle library!

I rode across the US with one pair of knicks. You're overthinking this.

I aspire to that level of thinking or underthinking :) you're right, its been a while since i was out on a tour and I've reverted back to my default mode 'just in case'... time to let go of a few items.. and make some space for cheese and baguettes

He’s called hippy for a reason, I think we all remember #towelgate

It’s easily done. I’m one for over packing, I went away this weekend with roughly what I took for my last year long trip 🤷

2 pairs of bibs will get you through almost any tour I reckon. Pair 3 is a luxury.

I asked this on the GPS thread, which was probably wrong, so copying below for any thoughts...

Is anyone riding consistently with navigation via smartphone only? If so, RWGPS? Anything else out there? I've been dabbling with Osmand, but not sure it records rides? I have a wahoo, which is great, but for lazy touring where I'd like to see more POIs (shops, mainly) on a bigger/better screen, I wonder if a quadlock and an app is the way to go?

If so, I presume a power bank and airplane mode is the way to go?

(Obviously I could just experiment myself but (a) phone mounts are the expensive and (b) I'm lazy.)

Gaia is the app you want
Airplane mode on my ancient iPhone battery lasts ages
Enjoy

Thank you! I'll give it a try!

I use osmand on a pixel with quadlock. For a day ride airplane mode is not needed.
Osmand can record the track, show the poi offline and calculate a route also offline.
To me it's top !

Komoot on a cheap OnePlus phone, QuadLock mount — is what I use

On android "battery saver" mode saves more battery than airplane mode in my experience.

Thanks all!

I’ve been cycle touring for the past year and half with komoot, would recommend.

Why though?

I don't route plan with it exclusively, but the community added "highlights" can be really useful, depending on where you are.

I have 4-5 weeks of holiday to use, so am looking at taking May off for a tour, anyone got any recommendations of road only (sadly no gravel bike) routes in the 3k km for Europe? Did Istanbul to london last year so was thinking maybe around Spain or Italy but early days still and nothing is calling out yet.

Spain

Wine regions of France, Italy, Germany and Spain. Never done it, there'd be a whole load of ups and downs, and cycling on back roads. I guess the whole idea behind it depends on how much you love wine.

Thanks to everyone for the advice in past weeks. Just back from 9 days cycling to Barcelona via the Pyrenees at Col D'Ares near Ripoll. Can pull out the route if anyone is interested which I found online: Caen, Alençon, Tours, Montmorillon, great B&B at Ségur le Château, Tour de Faure, Albi, Carcassone, Le Boulou, Ripoll, Barcelona.

Back roads most of the way, each day felt like a closed road sportive. Didn't see a pothole til Carcassone. Great food, drinks, cycling, and practicing very rusty french.

Absolutely overthought the luggage situation; once I was in Occitane, I popped into the nearest Marie / La Poste and sent back home about 4kg of stuff I didn't need including powerbanks. Made the rest of the trip extremely light and enjoyable.

Got the fast train to Bilbao and ferry back to Portsmouth, which was better than expected. 9/10.

Had you pre booked the ferry? Whenever I’ve looked available slots are few and far between.

Anywhere in particular for Spain, it’s a deep shame in life I have never actually visited the Iberian peninsula before